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WARREN -- The alumni group of the Warren G. Harding High School Class of 1968 has decided to leave its mark on future classes by dedicating a monument as a class gift to the school.
Ron Zelenak, Tim Menz, Tim Harrold, David Barran and Paul Yannucci, who are all 1968 class members, said they have been working to move the monument project forward.
Menz said the marker will serve as a remembrance of the classmates who attended Harding.
"We want to leave something to the school so everyone can see. It is like leaving a legacy behind and that is what we want to do," Menz, co-chair of the 1968 alumni group, said.
He said whenever there is a class reunion, donations are taken to help pay for future class reunions or remembrances of the class. Just recently, Valarie Vine, a dedicated member of the class, died and her family wants to have all donations go toward the monument.
"There was more than enough money in our savings account and alumni members discussed what to do with this. We decided to leave some legacy behind. The memorial could be an inspiration for other classes to want to do something related to their class," Menz said.
Plans are for the marker to be placed in the facade area at the high school. The memorial marker engraving is "Warren G. Harding-Class of 1968" with a panther image. The panther was the school's mascot before Harding merged with Warren Western Reserve High School in 1990. The mascot is now a Raider.
Menz said years ago, classes would leave something to the school as a legacy.
"There are many classes that want to leave a remembrance behind, but there was no room inside the buildings," he said.
The Class of 1968 had 485 graduates. Menz said it has been harder to host large class reunions for everyone because of schedules and geography.
Zelenak said the group meets quarterly at restaurants in the Warren and Howland area. He said there are usually up to 24 alumni members who attend.
"We just got together at the Chop House in December. We will go to the Sunrise Inn in March,'' Zelenak said.
He said the Class of 1968 also has purchased a seat at the Robins Theatre, which was coordinated by Harrold.
The committee said they plan to have a dedication in the spring of the marker, which will be placed on the right side of the facade when viewed from Elm Road.
Warren Marble and Granite designed and created the marker.
MARKER DETAILS
The 30×10-inch marker will be a sparkled black granite with the lettering white and the panther black with a white and red outline, which was the former school colors.
Menz said many remnants of the more than 20 schools that once were part of Warren City Schools have pieces from their buildings located by the facade.
"Parts of the schools, such as cornerstones and concrete decorations, some of which are from the 1800s, are located around the facade building. We are thinking if we are going to put a marker up, it would be perfect next to the items from the other buildings,'' Menz said.
Barran said the Class of 1968 marker will be the only new one by the facade.
"We had thought of a plaque, but there are already many plaques inside the school. We wanted to do something a little different. I hope other graduating classes will see this marker and also want to do something for the schools," Barran said.
Menz said the marker will be placed near a walkway so people passing by the facade can see it.
The committee said the Class of 1968 experienced a lot, with the Vietnam War and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert Kennedy before they graduated.
Menz, a former Warren City Schools employee, said he was in contact with Superintendent Steve Chiaro and Director of Business Operations John Lacy to show plans for the project and they were very pleased with the idea.